Manager Hates Me

dwms

One of our department managers has an employee whose mother is chronically ill (we do get recerts, but it's pointless as situation won't change as long as the mother lives).

Because of this illness, the employee is required to take FMLA intermittently in order to drive the mother to the doctor, or care for her when she has spells where she cannot care for herself.

These don't occur often enough to ever run the employee out of FMLA. The doctors appointments can be planned. The illnesses always leave the department short handed - especially when the employee bails on a weekend rotation. Such as this weekend, when the mother needs constant care because she cannot even turn in bed.

This employee lives with the mother, and there doesn't appear to be any other family member to help.

The manager hates me because I can't fix his problem.

Have you been here before?

Don D

Sounds like a classic case of legally mandated FMLA on an intermittent basis to me. So what's the problem? To answer your question, We've all been there. The employee has FMLA coming on an intermittent basis, period.

POPEYE

>
>The manager hates me because I can't fix his
>problem.
>
>Have you been here before?


Yes, as Don said, we have all been there before. Maybe you should have this manager write you up a detailed plan as to how you should fix this problem!! Maybe you could go sit with the mother while the EE works or even better, maybe the manager could.

System

Popeye seconds, and the motion carries. We all feel your manager's frustration and yours to fix it. Your doing a good job, don't let that get to you or it will. I see more of it since so many of our workforce are caring for elderly parents. Hold your course.

marc

There is a real straight-forward solution to your manager's dilemma, he just needs congress or perhaps the Supreme Court to repeal the FMLA law.

Holding you accountable for administering the FMLA is just like him being mad at you for having to pay time and a half for OT.

Rockie

Yes, indeed, we have all been here.

My classic question to individuals with this attitude is "What would you do in this situation?"

Or "If you were in this employee's shoes, how would you want to be treated?"

Also, might be a good time to remind manager that supervisors, as well as an organization, can be held liable for interference with or denial of FMLA rights (or any type of retaliation).

safety

Been there and still there. Direct the manager to the DOL web site and require them to become educated in FML and it's requirements.

njjel

HR often takes the blame for things in a company! I get blamed if people procrastinate sending to the health insurance carrier their child's college transcript or other proof of college enrollment and then the child gets dropped and they are notified the child is terminated from the insurance. THEN they get really upset b/c they DID send in the info (albeit too late to stop the automatic delivery of the terminated letter) and still received this termination letter! GEESH!

I think you need to have a sit-down with the manager and let him/her know that if you could, you would change the laws, but since you can't, everyone has to suffer. Not to mention the poor employee, who I am sure, is pulled between dedication to his mother and the desire to keep their job! This guy (the manager) must have NO empathy at all. Hopefully he himself will never have to experience this type of care giving.

Peyton Irby MS

this is actually a borderline FMLA situation. the DOL indicates that intermittent leave is designed for a specific (more or less) schedule, such as chemo or dialysis treatments every other Friday. i suggest checking with your legal counsel as to whether this qualifies as FMLA eligible. however, i 100% agree with the comment to ask the manager how he would feel if he were in the employee's situation.
Peyton Irby
Editor, Mississippi Employment Law Letter
Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A.
(601) 949-4810
[email]pirby@watkinsludlam.com[/email]